thought for thursday: how many?

blog reading has become part of my daily routine.  at the same time, i like to peruse new blogs and do a little blog surfing. which inevitably turns into a LOT of blog surfing. it's fun to read about people i know as well as random people, read about their quirks... see photos of their kids, read about their hobbies, all that good stuff. hours can pass and i'm reading, enjoying, laughing, crying, relating, commenting, submitting.

then there is the replying to the comments that i get from my own blog. which for some reason has gone down drastically in the last week or so. (what do i need to do, people?  more interesting blog topics?  more photos? help me out!  COMMENT!)  besides replying to comments, i'm replying to emails to which come in from comments I'VE made.  it gets crazy. and can consume a large part of my time at the computer. it's so tempting to see what's new on all of your blogs!

currently, i read about 40 blogs. give or take. more on the give side. that's a lot of blogs. i feel like the more i add to my regular blog reading, the less time i can spend at each one, and i end up rushing.

lately, though, i've been trying to limit myself.  but i've not been very good at staying away.

tell me. how many blogs do you read?  how do you keep it under control? or don't you?  how many is too many?

other thoughts for thursday posters:  emilie, kristi, denise, jenny
 

Comments

[Denise H.]

HMMM, Well I have a Daily Blog Roll list that I try to read every single day. These are people that I know and then a few from blog land that I started reading when I first began blogging.

And then, I have a Major List on my BLOG LOVE list of blogs that I have ran into that I LOVE to catch up on when I have time. This list is growing very rapidly and I need to stop adding to it but there are so many Funny ladies out there that keep me wanting more.

[Miranda]

I have just gotten into blog reading so i don't read that many just five. But that is enough for me. I am the type of person i like to read about someone i know so i just read the ones i know and i am done!! They are so interesting and i love to keep up on peoples lives!!

[Kim]

i have 144 subscriptions in my google reader (but some are now-defunct blogs with no new posts, and many are photography blogs). how i keep it under control... i don't comment just for the sake of commenting. i may like something, but unless i am really impressed by it or have something i feel i can add, i generally don't take the time to leave a comment. so, i may not comment a lot (sorry!), but at least when i do you know i really liked the post. :)

[Chanley]

I've been thinking about this same thing lately. This blog world is very very interesting but I can get obsessive and spend way to much time reading. I've been up until 1 am (too many nights) reading blog after blog after blog. One good one leads me to another and another (you know what I mean). I feel connected to each persons life in someway (even if they do not know it).

I do have about 6-8 blogs that I check regularly (along with 2 babysites.com websites). That takes up enough of my time. I cannot imagine trying to keep up with 40 of them.

I like to comment when I feel I can add to the post or if they ask a specific question. I like to get comments on my post but I don't really mind if anyone doesn't post at all. Do you prefer to get lots of comments so you know that we are all reading it? Or is there some other reason behind it. Just curious.

I enjoy your posts and you have not been boring this past week. Maybe everyone is taking a blogging break. We all need it at times. They'll all be back soon responding to your posts.

[Jaime]

Honestly, 40 would be too many for me. If I have a little extra time, I like to surf a little and post some extra comments, etc. But I really don't have time to read a bunch of blogs consistantly... as you are saying, as well!!
Let's see... I'd say that your posts were a little more, elaborate, than you've been in the last week. Which people tend to comment on, I guess:)
And yes, I think you should post more pictures. They are easy to look at and get comments... from me:) hehe... Then I don't have to read a ton but I want you to know that I am reading, so I like to leave a comment:)
You know, since you quit your job, your blog material has really gone down hill:) haha.. KIDDING!!

[Nicole]

I have 159 subscriptions in my Google Reader. A lot of them are photography websites but a lot are also bloggers that I find intersting but read just for fun and rarely comment. Some blogs I have subscribed to I just skim and occasionally find good posts to read. I have a handful of bloggers that I either know or know well through blogging and I attempt to comment on theirs regularly (you're one of them... I've just been busy lately so my commenting has slowed down a lot).

I agree... blogging can be addicting and SO time consuming. I have been trying to delete blogs from my Google Reader when I realize that I just really skim over their posts.

[Nicole]

I have 159 subscriptions in my Google Reader. A lot of them are photography websites but a lot are also bloggers that I find intersting but read just for fun and rarely comment. Some blogs I have subscribed to I just skim and occasionally find good posts to read. I have a handful of bloggers that I either know or know well through blogging and I attempt to comment on theirs regularly (you're one of them... I've just been busy lately so my commenting has slowed down a lot).

I agree... blogging can be addicting and SO time consuming. I have been trying to delete blogs from my Google Reader when I realize that I just really skim over their posts.

[Leah]

I have a handfull that I check everyday. I really try to limit myself as I always have about 101 other things that I should be doing....but blog surfing is so much more fun!

[anne]

I JUST started using Google reader, and I only have 12 blogs in it. I read others sometimes, that I happen upon and like, but I do not want to feel obligated to keep reading blogs, which I will do if I add them to my reader!! I have this weird obsession with NEEDING to have all emails/google reader messages opened and not sitting unopened in my inbox. I also don't have that many blogs listed on my site's blogroll (even though I read more than what's listed) because I feel weird linking to someone's site unless I feel like I kind of "know" them or have communicated with them in some way...and asked them if I can link to their site in my blogroll.

[Hyphen Mama]

I can get carried away and lose hours of my day going from one to the next. SO, in an attempt to force myself to actually parent my kids I have limited myself to about 10 that I check daily and I occasionally surf around here and there if another one catches my eye. I allow myself an hour or so in the morning after Wynnie has gone to school, then a few minutes during lunch when Mack is napping and Wynnie isn't home yet, then I check for any new updates after they're in bed. When I'm not in my time alloted, I close my laptop and close the doors on the computer armoire. I force myself to disconnect, otherwise I'd be here 24 hours a day...peeking into people's lives.

[Robyn]

I have about 15 that I read regularly. I sometimes go to others off of blog rolls. I always try to comment on the regulars, since they usually comment on mine. I don't reply alot to the comments, unless I feel it needs an answer. I usually play around for an hour and a half after the girl goes to bed. I find writing mine takes the most time so if I can get that done at work and email it home. I get to read more blogs. Comments are addicting though yo so want people to like what you write.

[trav]

i only check the 9 on my blog list...same order, everytime. i think this helps me from losing track of time surfing to other blogs. and sorry for not commenting in the last couple of days...i've been dealing with norton virus issues...lovely.

[jenny]

hi. my name is jenny and i have 121 blogs in my google reader. hahaha! i have creative blogs, photography blogs, mom blogs, friend's blogs...and google helps me keep them all straight - sorta! i think you should hook yourself up with google reader. then your obsession could really grow! :)

[LeeAnn H]

Just checked and I have 112 blogs in my google reader! Yikes! I'm thinking i need to skim that down some. I dont comment as much as i should or even want to, since here at work im not able to comment on blogger blogs, but other i can.

[amy]

I have quite a few blogs subscriptions in my google reader. I try to peruse them daily and comment as much as I can. I have come to enjoy your blog, and I really like your photographs! =)

[michelle]

I have a lot, but I've become quite the slacker in commenting. I just don't have time to even read all the posts. It's too bad, but hey, I've got 3 kids now! I try to comment as much as possible, but it doesn't always happen :)

[Lina]

What started out as just checking in on Nicole when she was starting up her blog for her 1st son Porter snowballed into more blog-stalking. I now read through & comment on about 30-35 blogs on a regular basis (not daily, but pretty regularly) Not a blogger yet myself, no time because I am too busy checking others blogs & w/ 3 kids & too many interruptions-it just wouldn't get accomplished :)

[Kristi S]

I'd say I have about 50 blogs I read on a regular basis. I wish i had time for new blogs or to surf, but thats not the case :(

[zoe]

you do not even want to know how many blogs i read. i keep them organzed in my reader. i always read and comment on my visitors blogs first. then i have craft, photo, shopping, entertaiment, misc blogs. i have been struggling with this lately. notice my lack of blogging and commenting...i have found my online time has consumed me. plus i have more guilt than any catholic and i feel so bad when i get behind on commenting!

[zoe]

you do not even want to know how many blogs i read. i keep them organzed in my reader. i always read and comment on my visitors blogs first. then i have craft, photo, shopping, entertaiment, misc blogs. i have been struggling with this lately. notice my lack of blogging and commenting...i have found my online time has consumed me. plus i have more guilt than any catholic and i feel so bad when i get behind on commenting!